Sunday, January 30, 2011

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In this issue:
• Staffing Update
• Speak Out – Alberta Student Engagement Initiative Update
• Consultation on Professional Learning for Alberta Teachers
• Web Awareness Workshop Series Update
• Upcoming Event
• Research
• Professional Development Opportunities
• Videoconference Events from 2Learn.ca

Staffing Update

Vincent Roth has been appointed to the position of Director, Learning Resources Centre (LRC), effective January 10, 2011.  Vince has worked in the School Technology Sector over the past several years in the capacity of Senior Manager, Standards and Strategic Relationships.  He was instrumental in establishing Education Standing Offers and the Provincial Microsoft Licensing projects, as well as serving as a liaison with school authority and industry representatives.  

School Technology Sector is planning to recruit for the vacant position of Manager of Technology Standards and Strategic relationships in the near future.  

Speak Out – Alberta Student Engagement Initiative Update

Speak Out –Alberta Student Engagement Initiative was launched in November 2008 to gather student perspectives on schools and their learning experiences to help shape the education system.  Targeted at youth aged 14 to 19, Speak Out offers a variety of opportunities for students to share their ideas and be actively engaged.

>> For more information on the student engagement and how students and schools can get involved, click here.

Consultation on Professional Learning for Alberta Teachers

A consultation process is underway for the development of a provincial framework for professional learning in Alberta.  Education system stakeholders are invited to participate in the Alberta Education online consultation process. 

Thirteen strategic directions have been identified which focus on ensuring the right people with the right skills are in the right places at the right times to meet the needs of Alberta’s learners.

The online consultation will be available until March 31, 2011.

Web Awareness Workshop Series Update

The Media Awareness Network has five self-directed tutorials that provide professional development for teachers wanting to become more web aware.   The Web Awareness Workshop Series covers the following topics:

• Cyberbullying: encouraging ethical online behaviour;
• Safe Passage: teaching children to be safe and responsible online;
• Kids for Sale: online privacy and marketing;
• Fact or Folly: authenticating online information; and
• Growing with the Net:  a developmental approach to children’s Internet use (ages 4-12). 

The series includes self-directed tutorials and slide presentations with speaking notes and workshop guides.

Alberta Education has licensed the Web Awareness Workshop Series for Alberta teachers to use until August 31, 2011.  The resources are available in English  or French .  To access these resources, please contact your Jurisdiction Technology Contact for login and password information.

For information on these resources or any additional questions about Alberta Education’s licensing of Media Awareness Network’s resources, contact Edna Dach at Edna.Dach@gov.ab.ca. 

Upcoming Event

Jurisdiction Technology Contacts Event – by invitation only

May 5, 2011

Mount Royal University, Calgary

Research

Alberta Education’s School Technology Sector is continually monitoring research on best practices in the use of technology for learning and teaching.  Research articles or reports from outside sources that may be pertinent to the work of tech.news subscribers will occasionally be included in this newsletter.  The information in the articles or reports does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Alberta Education.

Netbooks on the rise:  European overview of national laptop and netbook initiatives in schools - November 2010

Innovative Teaching and Learning Research:  The Pilot Year Report for Educators and School Leaders - November 2010

>> For details and links to the reports, click here.

Professional Development Opportunities

2Learn.ca Professional Learning Opportunities offered via Videoconference

A variety of videoconferencing professional learning opportunities are available through the 2Learn.ca Education Society.  The sessions include Wikis and Blogs for Div 2, 3 and 4; Consumerism and Kids; Digital Representation Tools; and Online Safety and Awareness.

>> For details, dates and time of these events, click here.

Videoconference Events from 2Learn.ca

Update on Alberta Participation in Read Around the Planet

2Learn.ca Education Society is taking an active role in promoting and supporting Alberta teachers participating in Read Around the Planet, the world’s largest videoconference collaboration. 2Learn.ca has conducted four Cyberbridges for interested teachers and technical coordinators, and over two dozen one-on-one site verification sessions via videoconference to enable schools to register for the event. As of January 14, 2011, Alberta has more than 80 individual classes and over 2,400 students participating in Read Around the Planet.  Registration for this event closed Friday, January 14.

2Learn.ca Classroom Multipoint and Point to Point Videoconference Events

The 2Learn.ca Education Society provides access to a variety of videoconferencing events for Alberta classrooms designed to meet the outcomes of the Alberta curriculum.  These events can include numerous classrooms working together or a partnership with one other classroom. 

>> The events for February 2011 can be viewed by clicking here.

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School Technology Sector
Alberta Education
10th Floor, 44 Capital Boulevard
10044-108 Street
Edmonton, AB T5J 3S7

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